Hammer



J.'S.KELLY.

Patented Aug. 31, 1897.

UNITED ASTATES rPlfiTEivr OFFICE.

JAMES S. KELLY, OF MOUNT IRON, MINNESOTA.

HAMMER.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 589,178, dated August 31, 1897'. Application filed May 5, 1897. 4Serial No. 635,232. (No model.)

To all vwhom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES S. KELLY, of Mount Iron, in thevcounty of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hammers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. y

This invention relates to improvements in hammers; and the object of the same is to so form the hammer or similarinstrument Whereby nails may be readily picked up thereby which may have been dropped by the Workmen or for picking up a single nail from a pile and also for starting the nail without the use of both hands of the operator, the device being constructed as hereinafter set forth in the specification and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which is a perspective view of the hammer, l indicates the handle, which is provided onits end with the* transverse grooves 2, which Jterminate in the enlarged cavities 3.

4 is the hammer, which is adapted to be positioned upon said end of the handle and be secured thereon by Wedges 5, which are driven between the end of the handle and the inner surface of the hammer-eye.` Grooves 6 are formed in one of the side walls of the hammer-eye-and register with grooves 2 of the handle. Spring clamping members? are positioned in the grooves in the handle and serve to clamp the nail when the hammer is pressed thereon. In the present instance I show three grooves of various sizes to suit varions sizes of nails, and also show said grooves extending transverse the hammer, although they might extend longitudinally thereof Without departing, from the spirit of my invention. y. v

The improvement maybe applied to other implements 'besides hammers-*as hatchets, dta-and serve the same purpose.

Bythe use of the above-described improvement nails may be picked up singly from a pile or a nail quickly and readily removed from the ground or iioor, where it may accidentally fall. The hammer is also very useful in starting nails Where it is notconvenient to use both hands of the operator,`as the nail Amay be held by thehammer and'started without using the other hand ofthe workman.

. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination with a handle having grooves formed in its ends, said grooves terminatingin cavities, of an implement having an veye through which the handle is adapted topextend, said eye formed with grooves registering with the grooves of the handle, and means for gripping and holding the nail withinthe grooves when the implement vis passed thereover, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a handle having a series of transverse grooves formed in its end,

said grooves terminating in cavities, of an implement having an eye through which the handle is adapted to extend, one of the side walls of said implement provided with grooves registering with the grooves of the handle, and spring clamping members positioned in the grooves of the handle for gripping the nail when the implement is pressed thereover, the head of said nail being positioned Within the cavity with its stem resting in the groove of theY handle and Wall of the eye, substantially as described.

j yIn testimony whereof I have signed this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES S. KELLY.

lVitnesses v BUET BAKER, J. H. JAMES. 

